FAQs- Frequently Asked Questions

Payments

Yes. For more information regarding online payments, please visit the Online Bill Payment & Donations tab. Card payments are NOT accepted in person at the window.

CAN I PAY OVER THE PHONE?

No, but you can pay bills online, please visit the Online Bill Payment & Donations tab.

WHO DO I MAKE THE CHECK OUT TO?

Please make checks payable to "Town of Randolph." Please include your remit or reference your bill number, account number, or address on the face of your check.

View All

Chapter 60A of Massachusetts General Law imposes an excise for the privilege of registering a motor vehicle in Massachusetts. If you have a Massachusetts license plate on your car (or in your possession), you must pay Excise tax, a yearly tax, based on the value of the car on which the plate was registered. All bills must be reconciled within 30 days by either payment in full, or abatement in full. The largest Excise tax billing commitment is usually billed in March and due in April. However, you could receive an Excise bill at any time during the year, depending on when you registered your car and when the Registry of Motor Vehicles generates a bill.

Excise tax information originates with the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The address that the license plate was registered to on January 1 determines where the tax bill for that year will be mailed. If you move January 2nd, the bill will still go to the January 1 address. Failure to receive a bill does not excuse you from the tax or fees that accrue on outstanding tax bills. Change your forwarding address with the US Postal Service so that you receive your Excise bills. Contact the Treasurer/Collector’s office if you do not receive a bill. For questions about making payment, contact the Collector’s office. For all other questions, i.e. valuation, other tax questions, contact the Assessor’s Office.

For more information, please visit Mass.gov

WHAT IF I SOLD MY CAR BUT RECEIVED AN EXCISE TAX BILL?

Pay the bill. Read the back of the bill. Contact the Assessing Department. If a tax abatement is granted by the Assessing Department, you will receive a refund of any tax overpaid. You will be responsible for paying fees and interest charges that accrue on unpaid bills even if the Assessing Department grants an abatement of a portion of the tax.

I TRANSFERRED MY LICENSE PLATE TO ANOTHER CAR AND RECEIVED ANOTHER EXCISE BILL?

View All

Real Estate and Personal Property

WHAT IS PROPERTY/REAL ESTATE TAX?

Property tax is an assessment on the ownership of real and personal property. An owner’s property tax is based on the assessment, which is the full and fair cash value of the property.
Each year, local assessors in Massachusetts have a constitutional and statutory duty to assess all property at its full and fair cash value under Massachusetts General Law. As of each January 1st, local assessors must classify all real property. Randolph has two classes of tax, residential and commercial.

WHAT IS PERSONAL PROPERTY?

Personal property generally includes tangible items that are not firmly attached to land or buildings and are not considered to be part of the real estate, for example, merchandise, furniture, machinery, tools, animals and equipment.

WHAT IS CPA TAX?

Community Preservation Act (CPA). In addition to your real estate tax, the Town has approved a surcharge of 2% to be added to the bill. CPA funds are used to support and preserve open space, historic resources, community housing, and utilize land for recreational use.

View All